The police were not there to stop this. Of course, they were not praying to the God of Israel.
Once cleared of this threat, we proceeded alone. I was suddenly ashamed of myself. The elderly Jewish man and children did not try to hide their identity or fool Motti at the gate. They underwent the humiliations as Jews not hiding in the shadows of a false identity – certainly not in Jerusalem, not on the holiest site in the world!
I removed my hat and placed my kippa on my head. I let my tzizit out to fly like a Jewish flag.
The response was not long in coming. It was so interesting to watch the reaction of the Arab men, women and small children. The hate in their eyes. The curses on their lips and the spit out of their mouths.
My tourists were not Jewish. After this experience they said they were so very pleased to stand with the Jewish people in this clearest of choices to be made. They felt they had the opportunity to stand with good vs. evil on this day.
No, this was not a news worthy item any more, but for me and my tourists it was an unforgettable one.